#MOTOMONDAY

KREFT SUSPENSION SHOP TOUR WALK-THROUGH

Shop Tour & Custom Tuning Walk-Through

Turns out a brand we’re all very familiar with in the mountain bike world actually had its roots in the dirt bike world first. Kreft Moto is a state of the art dirt bike suspension tuning shop and they share their headquarters with their mountain bike division, Cush Core tire inserts. Although applied through different parts, both brands actually share the similarity of helping control suspension and boosting your performance on the trail.

Tuning Moto Suspension

Last year at Interbike (RIP), while at the Cush Core booth we were talking to Dan Hallada about their new products and got sidetracked when I brought up my new Husqvarna FE350. “You do know we tune moto suspension, right?” Dan asked me, confused. I said, “I thought Cush Core was just for mountain bikes?” Dan set the record straight for me and mentioned the name Kreft Moto, which I had most certainly heard of, but did not realize the two companies were related.

The wheels were rolling, and once we got back home to Bend, Oregon it only seemed natural to come check out their facility, especially since it’s only about 1.5 miles from the Wolf Den. As much as I absolutely loved my new Husky, it had a few areas of weakness that a proper suspension tuner like Kreft would surely be able to address.

The Kreft Moto Team

After leaving the bike with the Kreft Moto team, I got the phone call it was ready to be picked up. Excitedly we packed up the camera to do a little factory tour and get a deep look into what goes into each and every bike’s suspension tune. The process Kreft Moto goes through is both detailed and precise. Before I even dropped the bike off I filled out a lengthy rider information form where they asked about my skill (or lack of) level, trail preferences and what I was hoping to accomplish with my tune. After that I was called by one of their tuners for a fifteen minute phone interview who went over my forms with me and took notes on exactly what my concerns were, areas of attention I wanted to see changed and what I wanted to remain the same. It was neat to experience this level of catering beforehand and once I arrived for the tour, I could see it wasn’t just an empty request. Kreft Moto works hard behind the scenes to acquire data, test their theories and develop products and tunes that will improve KTM and Husqvarna’s OE suspension performance.

Now that the tour is over, it’s time to get this bike in the dirt and I can’t wait to spend some time pushing it to the next level and progress my riding with the aid of some better suspension. Stay tuned for a long-term review this fall.

For more info visit, kreftmoto.com